Xu Bainian knew full well that His Majesty before him was polite enough to call him Old Brother, but once His Majesty made a decision, it was hard for anyone else to sway him. He never gave anyone face.
So he did not even give Chen Qing a chance to speak, and pleaded, “Your Majesty, you know that I have never begged you for anything in my life. This one time, please grant me this favor and change the marriage partner to Zhaoxing.”
Change it?
Chen Qing was also somewhat helpless. He was willing to change his decree for Old Brother this one time, but only if Chen Chu agreed.
The only flaw in Emperor Wuzhao’s entire life was that he was stubborn and self-willed, never yielding to his ministers.
Even when he was wrong.
But facing this son, Chen Chu, he was truly powerless.
The Ancestor had raised Chen Chu to be far too unruly and untamed.
He was afraid that if he really did this, Chen Chu might get upset and refuse to marry either sister.
Before issuing the decree, Chen Qing had already tested Chen Chu, and Chen Chu had shown no interest in Xu Zhaoxing at all.
He could only keep coaxing Xu Bainian along, admiring the scenery of the Imperial Garden, and sighed, “Old Brother, I have already made myself very clear. Fengyi cannot inherit the throne. Although the chance of my choosing Chen Chu as crown prince is not high either, I will grant Chen Chu enough authority and entrust the Xu family to him. That is the choice that puts me most at ease.”
“Marrying Zhaoyue to him is the wisest choice!”
“There is a way to have the best of both worlds, but Old Brother, you may not agree.”
The best of both worlds…
Xu Bainian nodded thoughtfully, roughly guessing what he meant.
Both sisters marrying the Ninth Prince together.
That would not only make those nobles coveting the Flying Flower Army give up, it would also grant Zhaoxing what she wanted.
But if that were done, the century-old dignity of the Xu family would not be preserved.
What’s more, with the two sisters serving one husband, who among Zhaoyue and Zhaoxing would agree?
After much struggle, Xu Bainian made an extremely important decision: hand over military power!
After all, wasn’t that what His Majesty had planned?
“Your Majesty, if I am willing to let the Ninth Prince come into contact with the Flying Flower Army, as long as he can prove he has the ability to win over the troops, I will gladly hand over the position of marshal. Would you be willing to change your mind?”
Hearing this, Chen Qing was thoroughly amused.
This Old Brother of his had led troops and fought battles all his life, so why was he suddenly bargaining with him like a child begging for candy?
So he said frankly, “Old Brother, I won’t hide it from you. Chen Chu agreed to marry Zhaoyue only because, twenty years ago, you firmly stood against the entire court and saved his life. You say Zhaoxing has feelings for him, but that’s only Zhaoxing’s one-sided affection; Chen Chu does not like Zhaoxing. If I change the decree and Chen Chu refuses, then neither of them will get married.”
Since he had said this much, Chen Qing did not mind explaining further. Looking at the stunned Xu Bainian, he continued, “Since I inherited the throne, there have been plenty of people daring to talk back to me, but the only one who truly dared to defy me has always been Zhuge Changsheng. Now there is one more. Chen Chu simply does not give me face.”
“But precisely because of that, it proves that Chen Chu is the prince most like me.”
When Chen Qing was still the Crown Prince, he was also disobedient and treated imperial decrees like everyday clothing, often angering the late emperor to the point of fury. It was even said that if there had been another Crown Prince, the late emperor might have lived a few more years.
But even so, the late emperor had never once entertained the idea of deposing the Crown Prince.
Because Chen Qing was the boldest prince of that generation.
And Chen Chu today was even more extreme than Chen Qing had been back then.
Since Chen Qing had spoken this plainly, if Xu Bainian kept insisting, that would just be unreasonable.
“I’ll go back and think about it.”
…
By then, with Yu Fengcheng accompanying him, Chen Chu had already arrived at the Ninth Prince’s Residence that Chen Qing had prepared for him. It was located in the middle section of the western city. The residence was fully furnished, with dozens of servants and everything one could want.
It covered roughly five hundred mu, and it was not especially luxurious. At most, it could be considered decent.
The butler was a plump young man named Wu Dayong.
“Your Highness, this servant will not disturb your rest. If you need anything, just command this servant.”
After bringing Chen Chu to the bedchamber, Wu Dayong tactfully withdrew.
Su Ru circled the huge bedchamber, touching this and that, her face full of amazement. “As expected of a prince’s residence, it’s really grand and huge! The scale of this prince’s residence is even bigger than the mountain gate of our Poison Immortal Sect!”
Yu Fengcheng said disdainfully, “How inexperienced. Your Highness’s residence is not small, but it’s only on the level of a second-rank official’s residence. King Qing’s residence covers a full five thousand mu, ten times the size of the Ninth Prince’s Residence!”
At the mention of King Qing, an uncontrollable heat appeared in Yu Fengcheng’s eyes.
As for that Second Prince, King Qing Chen Si, Chen Chu was not unfamiliar with him. Chen Chu was the royal family’s Cursed Blood, known throughout Tianchen, while King Qing Chen Si was the royal family’s Martial Blood recognized by everyone in Tianchen!
Aside from Xu Zhan, who died in battle eight years ago, Tianchen could find no young famous general comparable to him.
At thirteen, he volunteered to enter the Yellow Dragon Army to train, and in less than ten years he had completely taken control of that army. He had been stationed year-round at the border of Southern Xuan, working with the Southern Xuan Frontier Marshal to resist the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom.
Chen Fengyi the Imperial Grandson was certainly lawless enough, but once he learned that his Second Uncle had returned to court, he could hide in the Grandson Manor like a quail.
In the eyes of the world, the ones in this generation who could sit on the throne were either the rightful Imperial Grandson Chen Fengyi or King Qing, who possessed the strongest military power.
There was no helping it. He was simply too strong.
Not only did he command two hundred thousand Yellow Dragon Army soldiers, he had also married the younger sister of the Southern Xuan Frontier Marshal. With the power in his hands, he was more than capable of carving out his own territory.
Yu Fengcheng was now one of Chen Chu’s men, yet he still admired King Qing Chen Si.
Chen Chu did not show that he cared. Once Yu Fengcheng saw a truly greater world beyond his own, his admiration for Chen Si would naturally disappear.
“Go pick your own rooms. I have something to do now.”
“Yes!”
Yu Fengcheng and Su Ru answered in unison.
After sending the two away, Chen Chu walked to the deepest part of the bedchamber, reached out, and rotated the jade-carved bed armrest one full turn. With a rumbling sound from the wall, a hidden door appeared.
Chen Chu stepped inside and quickly saw a pale young man in fine clothes in the sealed room.
This person was Fang Lingqiu, the Northern Plains Heir who had been missing for a long time.
He stared tightly at Chen Chu’s unfamiliar face and demanded, “Who are you?”
“Chen Chu.”
Chen Chu walked closer lightly and added, “You can also call me the Ninth Prince. Mm, your father, the marshal, invited me to save you.”
“The Ninth Prince? You’re the Cursed Blood!”
Fang Lingqiu blurted it out, then instinctively covered his mouth. The words Cursed Blood were not a good thing.
Chen Chu did not care; instead, he admitted openly, “That’s right, I am the Cursed Blood that the entire court wanted to strangle twenty years ago.”
That wasn’t important.
Fang Lingqiu immediately asked with concern, “Did my father, the marshal, really send you to save me?”
Chen Chu nodded.
“Then… can you send me out of the imperial city right now?”
Chen Chu nodded again.
After receiving confirmation, Fang Lingqiu immediately showed delight. He could finally return to the Northern Plains.
Once he was back in the Northern Plains, he would definitely have his father seek justice for him!
As Fang Lingqiu fantasized, Chen Chu added, “I will not only let you leave, I can also help you get revenge first, and then send you out of the imperial city. ‘A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years’ is something the incompetent say. I value efficiency more; if I have a grudge, I do not let it last the night.”
At that instant, Fang Lingqiu was both thrilled and uncertain. “You really can help me get revenge? Do you know who hurt me, and what his identity was?”
Saying that made it clear that Fang Lingqiu had seen through Chen Fengyi’s disguise that day and recognized his identity.
No wonder Chen Qing had hidden Fang Lingqiu away.
On the Northern Plains side, it was one thing for Fang Dingzhi to suspect; once he became certain that the Imperial Grandson Chen Fengyi had crippled his son’s manhood, who knew what outrageous things he might do in his fury.
“The Imperial Grandson Chen Fengyi, right?”
Chen Chu answered generously, then asked, “How do you want me to take revenge for you?”
Having his manhood ruined was even more unbearable than being killed.
Fang Lingqiu gritted his teeth and said word by word, “I want him dead!”
“I’ll bring Chen Fengyi to you right now.”
Chen Chu turned and walked out of the secret chamber.